By Benard Worlali Awumee
Anloga, (V/R), Jan 20, GNA – Private legal practitioner, Mr Ivan Yao Akrobotu, has attributed the overwhelming public support for President John Mahama’s anti-corruption initiative, dubbed “Operation Retrieve All Loot” (ORAL), to widespread mistrust in Ghana’s existing anti-corruption institutions.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency over the weekend at Anloga, Mr Akrobotu highlighted that institutions such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) have long been established to combat corruption but are not perceived as credible by the public in recent times.
“The constitutional and institutional frameworks to fight corruption are in place and fit for purpose. However, the lack of public trust in these entities these days has significantly deterred citizens from engaging with them,” Mr Akrobotu explained.
He described the mistrust as a key factor behind the enthusiastic endorsement of the ORAL preparatory team’s work.
President Mahama, as part of his campaign promises ahead of the 2024 general election, pledged to intensify efforts to eradicate corruption in governance. Following his electoral victory, a five-member preparatory team was inaugurated in December 2024 to spearhead the ORAL initiative.
According to reports, the team, chaired by Mr Sammuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu has received over 700 complaints and dossiers relating to corruption and associated malpractices across the public sector under the previous administration.
The high volume of submissions, according to Mr Akrobotu, reflects the public’s readiness to support alternative mechanisms to address corruption.
This Mr Akrobortu claimed is a result of the mistrust of the public for state institutions.
He emphasised the need to rebuild public confidence in Ghana’s traditional anti-corruption institutions while commending the initial success of the ORAL operation in engaging citizens.
On the sideline of whether to maintain the ORAL team, He said, the state institutions are positioned enough to handle such issues and should only be supported and strengthened enough to that effect.
He called on the new government to put in measures to bring back the public trust for the anti-corruption State institutions.
“I will urge President John Mahama to adequately equip our already existing anti-corruption institutions to fight the rot, they need the enabling environment to work freely devoid of any political interference, logistical support among others,” Mr Akorbotu said.
He believes that is the only way through which corruption can be tackled and combated out of Ghanaian society.
GNA